Were the two pics in the same feed pen or close to each other. The age, the mainframe points, browtines and right beam do not match up that well. The left beam and the location of the 3rd beam are a close match. 3rd beam caused by injury is not that common.
I would say from where the lower feeder picture was taken to the area the deer was shot this year is 1/2 a mile at the most. So pretty much the same area - we have a picture from last year of the buck without the 3rd beam - I don't know if a beam like that would come and go year to year[/quote]
IME with a 3rd beam...they usually grow in the same location each year. What changes with them is that they break off easily during when they rub off the velvet or fight. That could change how or if they grow the next year. I saw a buck with a 3rd beam (caribou like shovel) in the middle of his skull cap for 2 yrs in La Salle county. I thought he was 5 the last year and then he disappeared. I got a phone call from a friend on the ranch and said that had killed a buck that had 3rd beam and he was very old. I found an old TC pic(35mm to boot) of him from when I had seen him. It appeared to be the same buck since the beam location was the same, so that put him at 10+ yrs old. He was not seen for 5 yrs. My guess is he broke off that 3rd beam each year and was not recognized. At that age he had learned how to avoid been seen.